Queanbeyan River Festival sets sail

By
Joshua Matic

QUEANBEYAN will get a splash of raft racing, live entertainment, and even the mayor in an inflatable ball amongst other fun and games when the city's first ever river festival arrives on October 11.

Mayor Tim Overall and the Queanbeyan Council Platypus tested these inflatable spheres allowing people to literally walk on water. It's part of the fun and games to come at the Queanbeyan River Festival. Photo: David Butler.

QUEANBEYAN will get a splash of raft racing, live entertainment, and even the mayor in an inflatable ball amongst other fun and games when the city's first ever river festival arrives on October 11.

It was the former Queanbeyan Regatta event that inspired Council to introduce the river festival, and they will partner with the ACT Eden-Monaro Cancer Support Group to raise money through the main event, the regatta raft race.

All activities will take place along the Queanbeyan River, including fishing workshops, kayaking, Aboriginal cultural activities, a platypus walk at dusk, and an abundance of food and other market stalls.

Queanbeyan mayor Tim Overall said he was looking forward to seeing the city's residents and many community groups put their creativity to the test in the showpiece raft race.

"I encourage all those budding engineers to start work now on their raft for the races," Cr Overall said.

"Through the former Queanbeyan Regatta we saw some very interesting, and at times successful, home built rafts entered in the races and I look forward to seeing what people will come up with this year."

Activities will run from 11am till 7pm on October 11, and all entry fees from the raft race will go to the Cancer Support Group.

Council also released four new walking brochures as part of the festival launch which detail the best places in the Queanbeyan region to explore and exercise.